This motel is inexpensive, but centrally located, and both times we stayed there, the motel, parking lot, and rooms were clean, and the staff friendly and helpful. They have coffee in the lobby, but McDonalds is just down the street with much better coffee. They do charge for high speed internet - $3/day, and the pool is outdoors so we didn't use it, but it looked clean.

I have stayed in 5 star hotels before, and though this one is far from that, it was not as bad for me as the former reviewers. The strip club next door freaked me out a little, but I found out Portland is full of them. I didn't notice any seedy people wandering about and the club seemed empty whenever we drove by, even though we stayed there saturday and sunday evenings. The room was clean, did not smell like smoke (though there was an ashtray with a non-smoking symbol on it - go figure), and the air/heating unit worked like a charm. All of the staff was very friendly. What I was looking for was a cheap, clean place to rest my head while wandering around Portland, and that is what I got. We did stay in the front of the motel, away from the strip club, so maybe that is why it seemed much more quiet than other reviewers. All I can say is you get what you pay for.
Pros: Cheap, clean, close to downtown and parks, undergoing remodeling/updating
Cons: No refrigerator, microwave, shampoo/cond - very bare bones room.

Whew, this place was horrible.

Non-smoking room smelled like a bar. TV was melted on top from numerous cigarettes and what looked like spoons.

First night the meth addicts next door were loud and rowdy until 3 am and my wife was understandably scared (her first time in America and an American motel).

Got new room the next day and while waiting to talk to the desk lady a man was checking in and stated that he didn't want anyone knowing he was their, especially the police!

Turns out the motel has a live-in Portland police officer which is reassuring yet disturbing at the same time.

Recommend the rooms directly atop the office as this is where the police officer lives. Our room was between his and my brother's and was much quieter.

There is a strip club next door.

Bonus....next to the strip club is a really great brew pub that has a children's play room. Excellent beer and food.

Definitely don't stay here unless you like 'Permanent Residents' and shifty characters doing questionable activities into the wee hours.

Pro's:

- I don't think you can beat this price so close to many of Portland's attractions.
- Location is in very easy driving distance to downtown Portland and the Hawthorne area

Con's:

- In a somewhat seedy area that appears to be getting less seedy and may one day be kind of hip. This could be due to the influence of nearby Hawthorne Blvd.
- Not only is this a Motel 6, it is a very old Motel 6. The rooms are not awful but they sure are not any more than ok. As another reviewer mentioned, our non-smoking room smelled of smoke and had an ash tray. Our so called Queen bed was not more than a double (also pushed up against a wall). It did appear to be reasonably clean otherwise.

Conclusion:

You get what you pay for. This hotel is dirt cheap for a central, big city location. I would guess that any other hotel in this price range would be much worse. Ask to see the room before you pay and you may find something that you can live with. Very good value if you would rather spend your money on the great food and other attractions Portland has to offer and just need a place to sleep nearby.